11 kinds of precipitation that drench Seattle
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Seattleites don't just "get rained on"; we experience a full menu of precipitation, from mist so light we wonder if it's raining at all, to freezing sleet that turns driveways into skating rinks.
Why it matters: As Seattle's rainy season kicks into high gear, understanding the nuances helps explain why locals embrace ponchos instead of umbrellas, why the region is lush and green, and why weather patterns here are so dynamic.
Between the lines: The diversity of Seattle's rain highlights the city's position at a meteorological crossroads — far enough north to get cold air from Canada, while temperate enough for drizzle to dominate, according to National Weather Service Seattle meteorologist in charge Logan Johnson.
- It's a mix that's unique in the U.S., Johnson tells Axios, making it as much a part of the region as coffee or Mount Rainier.
What they're saying: If you think all rain is the same, you haven't lived through a Seattle winter, says meteorologist Jacob DeFlitch of NWS Seattle.
- "Only in Seattle do we have so many different names for what's falling from the sky," Justin Shaw, of Seattle Weather Blog, tells Axios.
The big picture: Broadly speaking, the Pacific Northwest experiences two main types of rain: stratiform and convective, Johnson explains.
- Stratiform rain forms in layered, flat clouds that cover large areas. It's the steady, misty kind of rain Seattle is famous for.
- Convective rain, on the other hand, develops in taller, billowing clouds fueled by warm air rising from the Earth's surface.
- It's characterized by heavy bursts of rain that can soak one neighborhood while leaving another bone dry.
Yes, but: Seattle's rain is a world of its own, with local meteorologists using 11 different terms to describe all the ways we can get wet, per Johnson.
- Virga: the tease that evaporates before hitting the ground.
- Mist: a barely there humidity that lingers in the air.
- Drizzle: tiny droplets falling in an almost meditative but unrelenting way, and sprinkles, which have slightly larger drops.
- Then there are rain and showers: Rain politely spreads itself evenly across a region, while showers drench one spot and ghost the next.
- When the temperature drops, there's freezing rain, the overachiever that turns every surface into slippery slope; sleet, icy pellets that freeze on the way down; snow, the classic soft landing; graupel, snowflakes that got a slushy makeover; and hail, overzealous ice balls that couldn't stop growing.
The bottom line: In Seattle, rain isn't just weather — it's a personality test.
- Know your drizzle from your mist, and you'll fit right in. But call a shower a "storm," and we'll suggest that you put on your poncho and spend more time outside.